Week 24: The Final Day

The final day.
05/09/2011: Day 57

The day has arrived. Despite what I had considered during the previous week I got on my flight to London instead of the tempting hop back to Hong Kong.

We woke up very early to get the transfer bus to the airport, about an hour from the city. we somehow managed to do this despite our sleepy daze. It was then a matter of checking in and waiting, taking in our last breaths of Asian air (for 9 months as least). It was not long until we had to take our short walk towards the plane and say goodbye to Malaysia, Asia and the best period of my little life…13 hours from this moment I would be arriving in London (aren’t planes amazing?).

So that was it, 12 months of my life end with a small seat on a plane…but what a year it has been!

I can now reflect on my second trip to China in amazement. I arrived with no money and lived on a pound a day for nearly two months, I had 3 amazing jobs, made lifelong friends, travelled extensively in China and visited Vietnam and Malaysia, learned, saw, heard and tasted so many incredible things, spent 4 months couch surfing and had an unbelievable learning experience. I now need to find another way of getting the buzz I get walking when going into a classroom of children who are chanting my name and get excited to the point of soiling themselves when they see me. This is one job I’ll never forget.

I think its fair to say that there are so many people I need to thank for helping me even despite my scatty nature. Aside from the support of my friends and family the one person who I would probably not have stayed so long without is my host, Danny. She allowed me to stay in her home without asking for a penny, she fed me when I had no money, she didn’t mind if I didn’t come home, she trusted me with her house when she was away, she taught me some chinese, and she even stuck hot rods in my face and punched me in the back whenever I showed signs of illness. She is an amazing woman! And someone I will never forget or lose contact with!

So, the last 6 months have been totally different to the first 6, but I would not change a minute of either. The things ive seen, the people I’ve met, the food I’ve tasted and the anecdotes I’ve acquired mean this has been the perfect year! Long may it continue. In this respect, the struggle, the blood, the sweat and the tears (surely not? :P) I have given to my experience have been more than worth it!